Contributory Negligence, Comparative Negligence, and Stare Decisis in North Carolina

Part I of this article examines the contributory negligence doctrine and its history in the United States and North Carolina. Part II describes some of the criticism levelled at the contributory negligence doctrine. Part III examines the comparative negligence doctrine, including a-description of the types of comparative negligence systems, a history of the doctrine, and a look at the history of comparative negligence bills in the North Carolina General Assembly, concentrating on the several comparative negligence bills introduced in the 1980s and one of the principal arguments made against the bills. Part IV discusses North Carolina\u27s stare decisis jurisprudence and judicial deference to the legislative branch in relation to the common law of North Carolina and the contributory negligence doctrine